The 40 Best & Worst Law Schools for Philadelphia BigLaw

[Philly BigLaw]

The 40 Best & Worst Law Schools for Philadelphia BigLaw

352 law students obtained summer associate positions in 20 large Philadelphia law firms in 2008.  Here's where they came from:

Rank   # SA's   Law School
01            75      Temple University
02            58      Villanova University
03            49      University of Pennsylvania
04            39      Rutgers University-Camden
05            17      Drexel University
06            12      George Washington University
07            09      University of Virginia
08            08      Duke University
09            07      Georgetown University
10            06      Howard University
10            06      University of Miami
12            05      University of Maryland
12            05      University of Notre Dame
12            05      University of Pittsburgh
12            05      Widener University
16            04      Boston University
16            04      Fordham University
18            03      Syracuse University
18            03      University of Wisconsin
20            02      Catholic University of America
20            02      College of William & Mary
20            02      Cornell University
20            02      Emory University
20            02      Pennsylvania State University-Dickinson
20            02      Roger Williams Univeristy
20            02      Rugers University-Newark
20            02      University of Baltimore
20            02      University of Florida
20            02      University of Michigan
20            02      Washington University in St. Louis
31            01      American University
31            01      Brooklyn Law School
31            01      Columbia University
31            01      George Mason university
31            01      Harvard University
31            01      University of Buffalo
31            01      University of Detroit
31            01      University of Texas
31            01      Vanderbilt University
31            01      Washington & Lee University


For the purposes of this list, "Philadelphia BigLaw" firms include:
Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll
Blank Rome
Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney
Cozen O'Connor
DLA Piper
Drinker Biddle & Reath
Duane Morris
Fox Rothschild
Lavin O'Neil Ricci Cedrone & DiSipio
Marshak Dennehey Warner Coleman & Goggin
Montgomery McCracken Walker & Rhoads
Morgan Lewis & Bockius
Pepper Hamilton
Reed Smith
Saul Ewing
Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis
Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young
White & Williams
WolfBlock
Woddcock Washburn


Source: The Legal Intelligencer, the Oldest Law Journal in the United States

[naturallybeyoutiful]

Ummm.....why wouldn't Dechert be on that list?

[Philly BigLaw]

Dechert declined to participate in the survey.  In other words, they refused to embrace the concept of transparency by failing to disclose their employment statistics.

[TheDudeMan]

This list isn't worth much.  Temple and Nova are on the top because the students at those schools only have regional choices available so they all apply to Philly firms, whereas top 20 students aren't going to be applying as much to the Philly market.  Therefore, the number of summers at a particular firm has nothing to do with that school being a good place to go if you want to end up in Philly.  What would be of use is the percentage of offers given based on number of applicants.

Nobody is going to go to Temple or Vilanova over a Top 20 school regardless of where they want to work after graduation.